Velleity
by Mariel Nightstalker
Summary: Velleity: A wish or inclination not strong enough to lead to action. Mentions of SLASH Draco/Harry


_Velleity_ _vel·le·i·ty_/vəˈlēətē/

Noun: A wish or inclination not strong enough to lead to action.

He smiled as Scorpius took the hand of his bride and walked a few steps to stand closer to the judge. Out of all of the girls his son had dated over the years, Imogen Nott was the least hair-raising. Beyond that, she was polite, cultured, and well-bred.

Even if her mother _was _a Muggle.

Draco nodded to Theodore Nott as he sat down across the aisle from him and Astoria. Theodore nodded back. They hadn't really spoken since their school days, but of course they were civil when their children began courting.

As the judge began to say some words about them and how they had found love together, Draco's mind drifted. He felt a flutter of guilt for letting himself lose focus on his only child's wedding day, but that passed quickly. He already knew how they had met and how lovely and romantic it all was; he'd been an eye-witness to it from the beginning.

He thought about his wedding day more than 25 years ago. It had been a quieter affair than this, partly because they were still impoverished at the time and partly because neither of them loved the other. An arranged marriage takes some of the joy out of planning an ostentatious ceremony. He supposed he couldn't complain. Most of the marriages from his generation were arranged. In the wreckage that followed the Second War alliances were made and resources were pooled to ensure the survival of what few Pure bloodlines remained. Not that there was anything wrong with mixed magical folk. It was only that they were used to living a certain way and didn't have much attraction to Muggles following the War.

Astoria took his hand, bringing him back to the ceremony. He squeezed it in support when she began to sniffle. It wasn't long before he was drifting again.

They didn't have a bad life together, Astoria and him. Sure it denied them the freedom to love whom they pleased, but you'd be surprised how easy it can be to live without love as long as you're distracted enough not to think about it most days. The fertility potion that gave them Scorpius made things still easier. Scorpius was a very smart child, which is as much a curse as a blessing. There was no rule he did not break. A sizeable chunk of their lives was spent keeping and getting him out of trouble. And when he wasn't running their new sporting goods brand, there were the charities for impoverished or orphaned children to attend to.

Still. There were quiet moments, no more than a few minutes long, when he could think clearly about his life. And in those moments he thought about Harry Potter. If you didn't know Draco, you would laugh and ask if he thought about exotic ways of torturing him.

Torture was the furthest thing from his mind. They didn't get along when they were children, yes, and hardly spoke as adults. That didn't stop Draco from developing an infatuation with him. He couldn't explain how it happened. It just happened that his opinion of the Hero morphed from hatred to thankfulness to grudging respect to…well, he didn't know what to call how he felt now.

And it was no good thinking about him like that. Harry and his wife Ginny had 3 children together, without the help of a potion. That was a pretty clear sign that they had at least some feelings for each other. Even if Harry and Ginny did have a falling out, Draco would hardly occur to the Hero as a viable new partner.

There was a moment of silence. Draco dragged himself out of his thoughts long enough to see the rings exchanged. Imogen blushed from her ears to her neck when Scorpius leaned forward and planted a very enthusiastic kiss on her mouth.

He grinned and clapped as loudly as everyone else. Imogen had put up with a lot from Scorpius and he was confident they would have a happy life together, barring an emergency.

It wasn't until he excused himself to the bathroom during the reception that he had another moment to think.

He scrutinized his face in the mirror as he washed his hands. It wasn't a bad face, though a little lined for his age. He supposed it was the stress.

Harry didn't look old for his age. He looked decidedly young, now that Draco thought about it. An active Auror, he radiated health and charm whenever Draco saw him. He always looked happy, too. He never seemed tired or angry. Ginny was just as happy, but she wasn't the one he looked at. Maybe if things worked out differently, Draco would be the one looking younger than his years and truly enjoying life instead of just enduring each day as it came.

He shook himself and splashed some water on his face, trying to snap out of it. The wedding was making him sentimental. He was content with his life. Astoria was a very good companion and found new ways to surprise him with her strength and resourcefulness every year. There was no good in pining after Harry Potter. It was never going to happen.

But a man can dream.

~000~

End Velleity

I have writer's block. I tried, and this is what happened.


End file.
